Just a note for JohnK:Just before Christmas I finally received a copy of your recommended version of Braham's - Hungarian Dances. This is the first classical music CD that I have ever played that my wife actually enjoyed along with me.

Normally she just tolerates my classical choices. This time she actually asked me to play it again. I wonder if it's festive nature gave her a Christmas feeling that inspired her to actually 'listen', as I find you must do to truly enjoy this genre.

In any case. Great recommendation.

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With great power comes Awesome irresponsibility.

Very good, Andrew; that's definitely one of my "Desert Island" discs. I'll also mention that Dvorak's Slavonic Dances are similar in character to the Hungarian Dances and listeners who like one usually like the other, so you might consider one of the recommended versions.

Following up on my recommendation of my favorite Dvorak Cello Concerto, I'll bring to your attention a terrific recording having two of my favorite violin concertos. Sergey Khachatryan was the winner of the prestigious Sibelius Violin Competition when he was 15 years old(the youngest winner ever), playing among other pieces the Sibelius Violin Concerto. Three years later he recorded that concerto in Warsaw with the fine Polish Sinfonia Varsovia and also did the Khachaturian Violin Concerto for the disc. Beautiful, romantic playing, very well-recorded, and certainly a disc to be added to your collection.